Means for forming fish-plates.



Patented Ma'y 6, |902.

, H. B. CHARLTON.

MEANS FOR F-RMING FISH PLATESA (Application led Aug. 10, 1901.)

3 Sheets-Sheet L BUQUE INVENTOR vBY - ATTORNEYS.

No. 69`9,|48 Patented May 6, |902.

n. B. cHAnLTnN.

MEANS FR FORM|NG FISH PLATES.

(Application filed Aug. l0, 1901.? UID MdeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I' Il l. "phylum I v ATTORNEYS lo. 699,I48. w Patented May 6, |902. l

` R. B..CHARLT 0N.

MEANS FOR 'FORMING FISH PLATES.

(Appliwcio med Aug. 1o. 190m A @N0 Model-J 3 sheets-sheet 3.

wlTNEssEs: ,lNvENToRQ M hmm v TTORNEYS UNITED STATES 'PATENT Grrr-Cn.

RICHARD I3; CHARLTON, or ,MILWAUKER'WISCONSIN AssIGNOR TO THE CONTINUOUS'RAIL JOINT 'COMPANY or AMERICA, A` CORPORATION or NEW JERSEY.

MEANS-FOR FORMING Fls'H-PLATENS.

SPECIFICATION forming part rimettere Patent No. 699,148, @rateol May e, 1902.

t' Application filed August l0l 19,01. Serial No. 71,611. (No model.)

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD B. CHARLTON,

a citizen ofl the United States, residing at Milwankee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, havepinvented certain new and Ausefullmprovements in Means for Forming Fish-Plates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will Aenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference-markedv thereon, which form a part'of this specification. Y

This invention relates to the-manufacture of that form of fish-plate shown in my prior patents, Nos. 667,499, 667,500, and 667,501, issued February 5, 1901; and the objects ofthe present invention are to facilitate the forma-V tion of the upturned girder vor' truss'of4 the, fish-plate; to enable the entire 'operation of rolling the fish-plate bars, cnttingthem into lengths, bending up the girder, and punching, slotting, &c., the fish-plate to be done at' a singleor initial'heat to thus avoid'repeatedly heating andiworking the metalV tothe detriment of the finished product, and to secure other advantages and results, some of which may be referred to hereinafter in connection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists invthe improved means for formingfish-'plates and in the arrangements and combinations of parts of the same, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth and finally embraced in the clauses of the claim. l

Referring .to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures, Figures l and 2 show myimproved apparatus in plan. Fig. 3 is aperspective view of the girder-'bending dies, and Fig. 4 shows the means by which the fish-plates are supplied to the said bending-dies. v Figs. 5 and 6 showin perspective the punching andslotting dies, respectively.

In said drawings, a a indicate rolls forming the final or finishing pass of a set adapted to roll bars of suitable cross-sectional form from which to cut fish-plates, and b is such a bar Aemerging from said rolls. Said bar then passes upon rollers c or any other common conical surfaces adapted to give the sh-plate a quarter-turn at the same time it is carried forward. This insures that the fish-plate, which has been sawed as delivered from the rolls-a a, Withjits side which is in use to lie against'the rail turned downward, is now re- Y adj usted with said contact side in Vertical position and the base member 't' turned uppeg- Inost. When thus turned by the rollers j', the fish-plate is carried in that position by rollers j and delivered to the girder-forming dies. Said dies comprise a stationary female membong, lying at one side of the path of the fish- 4plate, and a-reciprocating Inale member h,

adapted to be slid transversely of the pathway of the-1ishplate toward and away from the female member g. Both members' are mounted upon'a suitable bed k, and the male member h is given motion by the crank 7c', receiving power from any suitable source. The female member g consists of a block of Inetal facing that side of the fish-plate which be- Ic'omes the outside in use and having'a recessA or groove g to admit the toe member Z and doubled orV-shaped portion of the nsh-plate. Above said groove or recess the overhanging portion of the block is cut away at its central portion, as at g2, to expose the base member of the fish-plate. The male die member is at its front face shaped to conform to and fit against the contact or bearing side of the plate, with an extension h to enter the V-shaped portion thereof. Upon the upper surface of said extension h and conforming in longitudinal position with recess g2 of the female die is a projection h2, adapted to enter said recess g2 when the die members are forced together and press the exposed portion of the base member t' up into a girder m. The fish-plates then fall onto a table n, as shown in Fig. 3. From said table the fish plates are caught with tongs and placed one at a time first in a punch o, which makes the bolt-holes in the upright portion of the plate, and then in a slottor p, which makes slots p' in the toefiangc to receive the spikes by which the fishplate is to be fastened to the ties. The finished fish-plates b3 are then loaded on a tramcar q or the like to be taken away.

It will be noted that the described operation of bending up the girders mis performed in the same heat with the rolling of the bar, sawing it into lengths, and punching and slotting. This is effected by means of the rapid automatic handling of the hot plates and not only saves time and labor, but also secures a better product, in that repeated heating and reworking is avoided.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new isl. The herein-described dies g, h, for forming girders m, on fish-plates, comprising a female die having at one lateral face a recess or groove g', to receive a fish-plate, the upper overhanging edge of the die being cut away at its middle portion, and a male die h, adapted to fit at its lateral face against a fish-plate as it lies in the female member, and having a projection h2, to enter the recess in upper edge of said female member.

2. The herein-described means for forming4 an upright girder on the base member of fishplates having an upright portion and doubled base, comprising a fixed die member grooved at its lateral face to receive the doubled base 4o of the fish-plate and having a portion of its face at one side of said groove cnt away to expose the base member of the fish-plate, and a reciprocating male die member having a face adapted to fit against a fish-plate as it lies in the female die member and having a projection to enter the cut-away portion thereof and bend up the exposed base member of the fish-plate.

The combination with the fixed die member g, having in its lateral face a groove g, for holding a fish-plate in inverted position and a recess g2, exposing the base member of said fish-plate, a movable member 7L, having a projection h2, adapted to enter said recess g2, and bend up the exposed portion of the base member, and means for automatically supplying fish-plates in said inverted position.

4. The combination with means for delivering fish-plates of the character described each with its base in vertical position, of con- Veyer-rollers j', adapted to give a fish-plate a quarter-turn, while carrying it forward, and bring its base uppermost, and bending-dies adapted to receive between themselves a fishplate in said position, and having one a recess exposing the base member and the other a projection adapted to enter said recess and bend up the exposed portion of said base membei'.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 31st day of July, 1901.

RICHARD B. CHARLTON.

VitneSSeS:

M. E. CHRISTENSEN, HUGH P. KAYE, Jr. 

